Tamil Nadu Court lifts ban on water supply to Pepsi and Coke. On Thursday, the Madurai bench of Madras High Court dismissed the two PIL’s against the supply of the Thamirabarani to the packers of Pepsico and Coca-Cola. In November 2016, the court granted interim injunction stating that the multinational beverage companies Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been restricted from using the water of Thamirabharani river.
A petition was filed by D.A. Prabakar the Tirunelveli District Consumer Protection Association secretary requesting a ban on the supply of water to the two companies. The petitioner was concerned about Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar districts which had 20 integrated drinking water projects that were dependent on the Thamirabarani river. In the 2017 February the petitioner mentioned main concern as agriculture is the important source of income to the Tirunelveli people. The supply of water to these two beverage companies has affected the supply the agricultural activity and also the livelihood of people in the region. Also, a Supreme Court order states that the water of the Thamirabarani river should not be used for commercial purposes.
As the petitioner filed a case, Coca Cola and Pepsi had alleged that there were other countries that used water from the river for commercial use and asked why the petitioner has not filed a case against them. The Government filed affidavits to the collector stating that the river has enough water for agricultural purposes after supplying water to the two beverage companies.
As a protest against the court’s decision, shopkeepers in Tamil Nadu have removed Pepsi and Coca-Cola from their shelves. The ban on the soft drinks was called by the State’s Traders Federation. This ban was called at the height of Pro-Jallikattu movement in Tamil Nadu in January but was only implemented in the State on Wednesday.
